The Hefner Zoology Museum

Located in the campus of Miami University, Oxford, OH, the Hefner Zoology Museum invites teachers and kids to discover and explore the exciting world of science.
The artifacts represented in the exhibitions along with the dedicated staff of the museum will help the students develop their scientific interests and engage them in learning. Through a series of scientifically oriented questions the professional staff arouses the curiosity of the students guiding them to the well-supported answers based on evidence showcased in the museum.
The museum offers a variety of educational programs designed to complement the school curriculum for PreK-12 grades. All the programs and projects in which the students can participate are absolutely FREE. The PreK-12 teachers can decide when they would like to add such extracurricular activities as visiting the museum to their class work and even make changes in the educational programs to meet the teaching needs.
Due to the highly professional staff the Hefner Zoology Museum can organize some specially adjusted courses with meaningful activities taught by specialists with advanced degrees in science and designed to meet the specific teaching goals.
Up to 100 visitors can attend the museum grounds at a single day, divided in small groups engaged in multiple activities that typically last from 35 to 40 minutes, such as outdoor exploration (if the weather is fine), classroom work or individual research in the museum's Imaginariums.
Outdoor activities include a stroll in the local Bishop Woods, studying ponds and streams or identifying the birds in the area.
In the recently renovated classrooms students of any age can learn about birds and mammal, bees and other animals living in the area, their habitat, food and homes. For younger learners there are Imaginariums where kids can participate in special programs that allow them to see, touch and role-play the animals they study.
Older kids will enjoy "Discovery Trunks", hands-on learning projects featuring various artifacts specific to each particular task, complete with guidelines for teachers.